


Bondin' N Banterin'

by BriMarie



Series: The Book of Love: Rini Drabbles [28]
Category: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (TV)
Genre: Banter, Bonding, Cute Rivalry, Drabble, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Fluffy, Getting to Know Each Other, Humor, Nini Salazar roberts - Freeform, One Shot, Playful teasing, Ricky Bowen Loves Nini Salazar-Roberts, Rivalry, Romantic Fluff, Sequel, Soft Ricky Bowen (HSMTMTS), Strangers to Lovers, Teasing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Witty Banter, high school musical the musical the series - Freeform, hsmtmts, kinda wanna write about this au forever cuz i love them, ricky bowen - Freeform, rini - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:13:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27674537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BriMarie/pseuds/BriMarie
Summary: The two competitive strangers bonding after Ricky asked Nini out on the bus.~Sequel to Rippin' N Runnin'~
Relationships: Ricky Bowen & Nini Salazar-Roberts, Ricky Bowen/Nini Salazar-Roberts
Series: The Book of Love: Rini Drabbles [28]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1757938
Comments: 11
Kudos: 37





	Bondin' N Banterin'

**Author's Note:**

> If you haven't already, you wanna read the first one to enjoy this one more.

Nini had been stretching as she awaited her racing opponent to arrive. She had naturally gotten up a lot earlier than usual today, so she figured she may as well get ready for the day.

Ever since Ricky had started this racing tradition between them, she had been dressing for the occasion. It was an odd bonding exercise, but every pair had their own thing. 

While she was stretching out her legs, she saw a familiar head of curls in her peripheral view.

"Well aren't you up early." 

She smiles as she stands up straight. "Am I, or are you just late?" 

He checks the time. "Nope, you're just early."

"Everyone knows that you're actually late when you're on time. It's one of the first things you learn as an adult Richard. Take notes." 

He chuckled as he prepared to race. "Whatever you say sweetheart."

"Ready to lose Bowen?"

"You'll be eating those words when you eat my dust Sal-Robs."

She scoffed. "We'll see about that." 

He got in position. "On your mark, get set, go!" 

Both booked it using all their willpower. Over the months, both of them have caught onto each other's running skills and know what to expect from one another. 

Nini was technically faster, but he will always have the advantage of having longer legs, so she always had to adjust to his pace to win. They were both running at the same speed trying their best to get a little ahead of the other, but it was hard. 

They could see the crosswalk light counting down from 10 just a few feet away from them. He peered over at her. "Hey, one of your earrings fell off."

"Oh shit, for real?" She slowed down a bit and rubbed her ears only to notice neither of her earrings were missing. "Hey neither of them are-

She realized she was talking to nobody when she turned her head to where he was. Ricky had already been running across the crosswalk before she reached it. He let out a victory shout as he watched her cross the street with an annoyed expression. 

"I told you you'd be eating your words!"

"I can't believe I fell for that."

"Who knew you could be so gullible Neens?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

He walks up to her, wraps his arms around her waist, and pulls her to his torso. "Does the winner get a prize?"

She rests her chin on his chest as she loosely coils her arms around his hips. "Depends on what the winner wants."

He pretends to think. "Oh I know, how about a kiss?"

She smirks. "Sure, close your eyes." 

He was shocked she had said yes, but he followed her demand. He puckered his lips waiting for her to meet him in the middle. She got on her tippy toes and cupped his face with both hands.

She ghosted her lips over his. Right before their lips fully touched, she placed her lips on his cheek instead. He groaned and squeezed her hips in annoyance, causing her to laugh.

"You're such a sore loser." 

"Well maybe if you won fairly, you'd get your kiss."

He sticks his tongue out at her, and she does the same. When the bus arrives, they walk hand in hand to their spot in the back. He pecks a few kisses on her cheek, making her giggle.

After he took her on a date two months ago, they realized they had a lot in common. Every week since then, they've been going out on dates a few times a week and continued their morning races. 

The farthest they've gotten is a few pecks on the cheek. It's not because they didn't want to kiss on the lips, but it felt weird to since they were in the bonding stage.

She already knows he will become her significant other in the near future since they already started off so great. She just wasn't sure how to ask yet. 

He wraps his arm around her shoulder and places a kiss on her hand. She snuggles into his chest, enjoying the feeling of him holding her.

***

Nini had been chilling on her sofa watching tv when she gets a knock on the door. She checks the time and tries to remember if she had invited someone over and forgot. 

She walks over to her door and peeks through the peephole. She was surprised to see Ricky standing on the other side. She opened the door with a confused look on her face. 

"What're you doing here?" 

He grins. "Nice to see you too."

"I didn't forget a date did I? That's really unlike me."

"No, I just was walking around town and spontaneously decided I wanted to see you. Oh and I brought you these." He revealed a small bouquet of roses from behind his back. 

She blushed and took the flowers. "Awe that's so sweet! Thank you." She reached up and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"You're welcome. Also, you might wanna get dressed cuz I'm taking you on a date."

"What? Where?"

"It's a surprise."

"I don't know what to wear!"

"Something casual, but you better hurry cuz the place closes in like two hours."

"Fine, just wait here for a second."

She cracks the door and runs to her room. She quickly changed into something dressy casual since it was still a date and fixed up her hair & makeup. She placed the roses in a vase before speed walking to the door.

He smiled and held out his arm for her to connect with his. "Ready?"

She closed her door and wrapped her arm around his. "More than ready." 

On the walk to their destination, she tried to guess where he was taking her. No matter what she said, he'd refuse to answer and said he wouldn't confirm if she guessed it right. She finally accepted defeat on the tenth try. 

She was taken aback when they arrived at their date spot. "Are you taking me go karting?" 

He perks up and nods. "Yep, I figured since we met through racing, this would be an appropriate date. I know it's not the same type of racing, but running doesn't seem like an ideal date." 

She beams at how precious this idea was. She kisses his hand. "I love it." 

"I was hoping you would."

"I hope you know that I won't be going easy on you." 

He laughs whole-heartedly. "I don't doubt that."

They walked inside, and he paid for the both of them despite all her protests. They noticed they were the only ones there, which wasn't shocking considering the hour. They were glad about that though because that meant they could goof around more and do more laps. 

The second they got in their karts, they gazed over at each other with smug looks. 

"Ready to get your ass kicked princess?"

She huffs. "That's pretty cocky talk for someone who's about to lose." 

They watched the timer countdown from 3. The moment it said go, both aggressively stomped on the gas pedal. Similar to their races to the bus stop, they both didn't hold back in order to win. Nini had won three out of the five rounds they did, and that's when they decided to call it quits. 

She of course gloated about her victory immediately after by chanting "We are the champions" at the top of her lungs on the way to the exit.

He rolled his eyes playfully. "I got distracted in the last lap."

"That's sore loser talk. Everyone knows if you're not first, you're last." She says teasingly. 

"I didn't lose; I just got second place. Also, how dare you use Talladega Nights against me." 

"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

She slithered her arm around his as they strolled back to her condo. Once they got back to her porch, she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Thank you for tonight. I had a lot of fun."

He grabbed her hips and rested his forehead on hers. "I should be the one thanking you. I always have a good time with you."

She smiles as her cheeks become rosy. "You're such a sweetheart. I'm lucky to have met you."

He eyes her lips and slides his hand up her side. She cups his face as the other hand caressed his curls. As he was ducking down to close the gap between them, the loud sound of a car honking ruins the mood.

He sighs as he rubs his hand up her back. "I'll see you Monday."

"Better bring your A game cuz I don't plan on breaking my winning streak."

He smirks. "I'm counting the minutes babe." He kisses her forehead. "Goodnight Nini." 

"Goodnight." Before she enters her condo, she gives him a lingering kiss on the cheek. 

On his way home, he found himself smiling like an idiot as he rubbed the spot she kissed. He feels his heart warm up the more he thought about her, and he didn't mind one bit.

***

Nini had hosted a girl's night at her place that same weekend since she hasn't caught up with them in a second. Nini had spoken about Ricky a few times before, and the girls were dying to meet him. 

"So Nini, this Ricky guy. How's that going?" Kourtney asks as she sips her champagne. 

The other girls all smile at the sound of his name while Nini rolled her eyes. 

"Yeah, he seems like he might end up being something serious the way you speak about him." Ashlyn states. 

"Well, him and I have been doing really well, but we're still going steady. He's a total gentleman when he takes me on dates, and we still keep up our little morning races. Matter of fact, he took me on a surprise date to go karting and gave me roses on Friday." 

Gina smirks. "Oo, did you guys have a goodnight kiss?" 

Nini's smile slightly falters. "Well, we were interrupted, but he kissed my forehead while I pecked his cheek. We actually haven't kissed yet."

The girls all gasp. "Wait you haven't kissed in the two months you've been seeing each other?! Like not even a quick peck?" Kourtney asks. 

Nini shakes her head. "Nope, not once."

"Well do you want to?" Ashlyn questions.

"Of course I do! I really like this guy, and I see myself being with him for a long time. I just feel like it has to be perfect, you know?"

"Yeah I get that." Gina says.

"So are you gonna make it official soon?" Ashlyn asks. 

Nini thought about her answer for a moment. She's sure she's ready to pursue him. She has been for a little while, but she didn't want him to feel as if he were being rushed. She just hopes he feels the same way. 

"Yeah, soon." 

Gina grins. "Glad to hear it. I think he's good for you; I haven't seen you this giddy in years."

"You know we’re gonna have another girl's night when you finally kiss right?" Kourtney says. 

Nini laughed under her breath and hugged the decorative pillow from her couch as she thought of Ricky kissing her. 

"Awe look at her all rosy cheeked at the thought of him. How adorable." Ashlyn teases.

Nini smiles and puts the pillow in front of her face. "Shut up!"

The girls all continue to tease her, and it took her throwing pillows at them to make them finally stop. 

***

That following Monday, Ricky insisted they wake up early to go eat breakfast instead of racing. She of course agreed since the only thing she loved more than racing him was going on dates with him. 

Ricky had been discussing an idea for their next date. As much as she wanted to pay attention, her mind wouldn't stop pondering about asking him to make it official. Her being a perfectionist felt now would seem like a bad time since it was in public.

She always prefers to tell news like that in private so their reaction is more natural. Her thoughts were interrupted when he gently rests his hand on hers. 

"Hey, where's your head at?"

She gripped his hand and made an apologetic expression. "Sorry, I just started daydreaming."

"Do you not like my idea of roller skating? Because if that's not your style-

She cuts him off by placing a kiss on the back of his hand. "That's not the problem."

He doesn't seem pleased with her response. "So there is a problem?"

She scoots her chair directly beside him and firmly holds his hand in hers. "There's no problem babe. I'm just spacey; might wanna get used to that if we're gonna be seeing each other." It wasn't a lie, however it wasn't what she was actually thinking about. She just hoped he took the bait. Judging by his gleeful smile, he did. 

He pecks her temple. "Good to know." He checks the time and notices the bus was arriving soon. "We should head out." 

They fight to pay for the check, and he only lets her cover the tip. When they get to the crosswalk, he brings her into a tight hug as they wait for the road to clear. He rests his head on hers, and she allows herself to melt in his warm embrace. 

"I love hugging you." She mumbles into his chest.

He kisses the top of her head. "Me too. It's a shame it won't last longer in a second."

She scrunches her brows and looks up at him. "What do you mean?"

He smirks mischievously. "This." He abruptly releases her and sprints across the street to the bus stop. Her mouth gapes as she stares in shock. 

"You told me no racing!"

He laughs. "Well I had to make up from losing at the racetrack somehow." 

"You little cheater!"

"Hey, you're the one who let their guard down. Besides, you said it yourself that we never settled on rules, so checkmate." 

She rolls her eyes trying her best to hide her amusement as she walked over to him. She wraps her arms around his frame. "You're a lot to handle; you know that?" 

He leans his forehead against hers. "I do. Do you think you can handle this?" 

She smirks. "I think I can manage." 

***

Ricky had hosted their next date at his apartment. He apparently was an extremely good cook and whipped up a nice meal with expensive red wine. She was actually envious of how much better of a cook he was than her, but she'd never give him the satisfaction of knowing that.

They had been lounging on his couch after finishing their meal, drinking their wine. She had been cuddling against him with his arm around her shoulder as the tv played some movie they only put on to fill in any silence in between words. 

He began mindlessly stroking his fingers through her hair occasionally making a face Nini couldn't quite make out. She could tell that he was debating on saying something. 

She places both of their glasses on the coffee table before turning to meet his gaze. "What's going on in that head of yours?" She grazes her thumb on his cheek.

He rests his palm over hers, and gives her the most intense look she's ever seen on him. She wasn't sure if that gaze was a good thing or not.

"Nini, I desperately wanna get something off my chest."

She felt her anxiety rise but tried not to show it. "Alright."

He takes a deep breath. "I really want us to be official; I want the whole shebang. Spending holidays together, introducing you as my girlfriend to others, kissing..." He blushes. "I've wanted to be with you for so long now, but I didn't want to seem like I'm rushing you, so I held back. But I think we're in a good area in our relationship where we can take the next step if you're ready." 

She hears her heart beating loud. She feels herself tearing up, and she was filled with so much joy that she couldn't speak. She responds by smashing their lips together, catching him by surprise. 

She ends up pushing him down on the couch with her on top. He kisses back with equal intensity, roaming his hands on her back. She deepens the kiss as she messes up his curls. They finally break after a full minute for air. 

"Ricky, I'm more than ready to be yours."

He trails his finger up her spine, making her shiver. "Happy to hear it. Just so you know, I will not be going easy on you when we race just cuz we're dating."

She smiles and rolls her eyes. "Ricky..." 

"Don't try to even persuade me with your beauty either. I'm not gonna fall for it. That only worked that one-" 

She grinded her hips against him, making him immediately hush. "I love hearing your voice, but please shut up and kiss me." 

He gulped as he felt a wave of excitement roll over him. He firmly gripped her hips. "Yes ma'am." 

They didn't do much talking for the rest of the evening. 

**Author's Note:**

> A few people requested a sequel, so I figured why not? Hope it did the original justice. 
> 
> I fell in love with this au more after writing this one. I realized it’s because they remind me of Marty from the party and Buffy from Andi Mack.
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoyed!


End file.
